Shopping
This is no ordinary list, I used to just write out what I needed when we went for a shop and occaisionally when I had the time, would re-order to the supermarket aisles which helped forgetting stuff or unecessary walking around (which I think increases impulse buys).  But instead this is a tick list of all our staple shopping (bread, cheese, milk etc) with a few add ons. There is of course space for non listed things. We check off what we need and then go over just before heading to the shops. I have tried to order according to our usual supermarket to aide flow through.

Google Doc – Shopping (this is a word doc so view in google docs is distorted)

Weekly Food Plan
This works well in tandem with the shopping list. Before I head to the shops, I plan out the menu for the next seven days and who will cook. At the moment, I’m using this snazzy planner which I got for Christmas from my hubby.

Cleaning
To keep track of cleaning, I have a list of every room in the house, and what needs to be done in each room. It helps me to not cut corners when doing the cleaning and also helps my husband to know my exacting standards!

To Do
I’m very particular about both the paper and pen I use to do a To Do list!   I like a coloured A5 pad (no lines) and a thickish black pen.  I usually write at the weekend and try not to add more than ten things per day! Even then I only ever manage about five – the weekend is for fun right?!

Lightbulbs
For me, a lightbulb dunce this is very important! I  have a list which includes every room of the flat with the lightbulbs needed and the lightbulbs needed with the minimum stock levels – I HATE running out of light bulbs. Saying that, I still need someone to shop for them for me, for despite writing down meticulusly my needs, I always buy the wrong ones!

Google Doc – Lightbulbs

Can’t Sleep
I would say it’s reasonably often that I can’t sleep and when it’s particularly bad, I will write a list. To help me remember but also to remind myself what I’m doing right and ease my mind. It usually consists of
1. What the thing bothering me is
2. What I am doing about it
3. What I can do about it
3. What others can do about it

It’s very simple I know, but helps me relax and teaches me to let go a little too.

Your lists
Anyway, enough from me -  what are your lists? Please do comment below!

sl

• Deja Dead – Kathy Reichs
• Jamrach’s Menagerie – Carol Birch
• The Frozen Lake – Elizabth Edmondson
• Before I Go to Sleep – SJ Watson
• The Last Dragonslayer – Jasper Fforde
• The Song of the Quarkbeast – Jasper Fforde
• The Distant Hours – Kate Morton

My book group and I have set up the webpage edinburghbookgroup.com so I plan to move across my book related posts to this site and try and focus this site somewhat.

Jamrach's Menagerie

Our January book group tackled Jamrach’s Menagerie and we were much surprised to find only one set of book group questions on the internet.  This is despite the fact the book was: on the Richard and Judy Autumn reads; shortlisted for the Booker Prize and; longlisted for the Orange Prize for Fiction. So! We decided to write a list of questions for any other budding book groups out there looking. If you think of any others, please do leave a comment.

Firstly, we found some questions on the WH Smith website and they are:

1. Some parts of the novel are based on real events. Discuss the use of real events in fiction.
2. The novel perfectly captures the world of the nineteenth century. What as a reader do you find most interesting about the setting?
3. One of the most compelling sections of the novel is when Jaffy and the others are adrift. Discuss the moral dilemmas that face them in this situation.
4. Jaffy is a fantastic character, thrown in to unusual situations. Do we see him as the hero of the novel?

I hope WH Smith don’t mind me listing them.

We thought that they could have been simpler so abbreviated them to:

1. What do you think about the fact that the story is centered on two real life events?
2. What do you find the most interesting about the book’s setting?
3. Discuss the moral dilemas that face the characters.
4. Do you see Jaffy as the hero of the novel?

In addition to this we asked:

1. Did you like the book and if so why/why not?
2. What do you think of the title of the book? (as you can see by the title of the blog post we had fun making up new titles!)
3. What do you think about the book cover? (we had two different book covers and we discussed both)
4. What do you think you would have done if you were in a similiar situation?
5. What was the strongest of the five senses throughout the book and why?
6. Do you think it’s a book that men might like reading? (we are all girls in our book group!)

We hope that future book groups find this useful. Let us know!

sl

1. Backwards in High Heels – Tania Kindersley and Sarah Vine
2. The God Delusion – Richard Dawkins
3. Jamrach’s Menagerie – Carol Birch
4. What a Carve Up! – Jonathan Coe
5. The Frozen Lake – Elizabeth Edmondson
6. A Christmas Carol – Charles Dickens
7. The Last Dragonslayer – Jasper
8. The Island – Victoria Hislop
9. Deja Dead – Kathy Reichs
10. Never Let Me Go – Kazuo Ishuguro
11. Microserfs – Douglas Coupland
12. The Seventh Gate – Richard Zimmer

As with previous years once, read I will embolden.

If you’ve made a book list I’d be interested to see, please do comment below.

1. Race of a Lifetime -Mark Halperin and John Heilemann
2. Sister – Rosamund Lupton
3. One Day – David Nichols
4. A Florentine Death – Michele Giuttari
5. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (book group pick)
6. Room – Emma Donaghue (book group pick)
7. The Other Hand – Chris Cleave
8. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand – Helen Simonson
9. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
10. The First Rumpole Omnibus – John Mortimer
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark
12. The Lacuna – Barbara Kingsolver
13. When God Was A Rabbit – Sarah Winram (ended up being a book group pick too)
14. Hungry Ghosts – Debbie Taylor
15. The Pleasure Seekers – Tishani Doshi
16. American Gods – Neil Gaiman
17. How to be a Woman – Caitlin Moran
18. America Unchained – Dave Gorman
19. Black and Blue – Anna Quinlan
20. The Quilter’s Apprentice – Jennifer Chiaverini
21. Round Robin – Jennifer Chiaverini
22. Plugged – Eoin Colfer
23. The Cross-Country Quilters – Jennifer Chiaverini
24. The Villa in Italy – Elizabeth Edmondson
25. Steve Jobs – Walter Isaacson
26. Death Comes to Pemberley – PD James

My favourite book – and this surprised me – was the Steve Jobs biography I don’t usually read factual books although find I do enjoy them when I do. Plan to add more factual books for 2012.

Very pleased to have reached 26 books this year and will aim for something similar for 2012. Not so pleased to have read only four from my original list – will improve for this year!

On Tuesday 13 December 2011, he died, peacefully in his sleep.  He was an avid poet, posting many poems from his bed when he was poorly. On his laptop we found a document labelled Farewell which was his last poem, for all to read so I thought I would post on my blog as well as his.

Post Mortem

This poet is not pinin’!
‘E’s passed on!
This poet is no more!
He has ceased to be!
‘E’s expired and gone
to mock ‘is maker!
‘E’s a stiff! Bereft of life,
‘e rests in peace!
If you hadn’t nailed ‘im
to the page
‘e’d be pushing up the daisies!
‘Is metabolic processes are now ‘istory!
‘E’s fallen off the twig!
‘E’s kicked the bucket,
‘e’s shuffled off ‘is mortal coil,
run down the curtain !!
THIS IS AN EX-POET!!

Of course we are very sad to have lost my dad, but are so grateful his death was peaceful and without pain.

Thanks to all my lovely friends for their love and support.

sl

xx

The good news is, I’ve made my aim of 24 books.  The bad news – I’ve not really dented my wishlist! Oh well.

Below is my list so far this year. Let me know what you think – or if you want an opinion on any drop me a line.

sl

1. Race of a Lifetime -Mark Halperin and John Heilemann
2. Sister – Rosamund Lupton
3. One Day – David Nichols
4. A Florentine Death – Michele Giuttari
5. The Great Gatsby – F. Scott Fitzgerald (book group pick)
6. Room – Emma Donaghue (book group pick)
7. The Other Hand – Chris Cleave
8. Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand – Helen Simonson
9. The Help – Kathryn Stockett
10. The First Rumpole Omnibus – John Mortimer
11. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie – Muriel Spark
12. The Lacuna – Barbara Kingsolver
13. When God Was A Rabbit – Sarah Winram (ended up being a book group pick too)
14. Hungry Ghosts – Debbie Taylor
15. The Pleasure Seekers – Tishani Doshi
16. American Gods – Neil Gaiman
17. How to be a Woman – Caitlin Moran
18. America Unchained – Dave Gorman
19. Black and Blue – Anna Quinlan
20. The Quilter’s Apprentice – Jennifer Chiaverini
21. Round Robin – Jennifer Chiaverini
22. Plugged – Eoin Colfer
23. The Cross-Country Quilters – Jennifer Chiaverini
24. The Villa in Italy – Elizabeth Edmondson

Today’s Dilbert is very close to everyday life for me. I am forever checking my phone for tweets/ facebook / emails while talking to people – how rude of me!

They are as follows:

1. Silence in Court (theatre)
2. The Kist (music)
3. Jason Byrne (comedy)
4. What Remains (theatre)
5. Julian Sands in a Celebration of Harold Pinter (theatre)
6. Witzelsucht and Moria (theatre)
7. Nick Helm (comedy)
8. Mission Drift (theatre)
9. Futureproof (theatre)
10. Dave Gorman PowerPoint presentation (comedy)
11. My Name is Hannibal: The Hannibal Montanabal Experience (comedy)
12. Tom Lenk: Nerdgasm (comedy)
13. The Tempest (theatre) – Edinburgh International Festival
14. Peony Pavilion (dance) – Edinburgh International Festival
15. Neil Gaiman  - Edinburgh International Book Festival
16. Jasmine Gwangji (music/dance)
17. Jack Whitehall (comedy)
18. Sarah Millican (comedy)
19. Rhythmic Circus (music dance)
20. Elis James (comedy)
21. David O’Doherty (comedy)
22. Frisky and Mannish (cabaret)
23. BBC Comedy Presents (comedy)
24. Freerun (dance)
25. New Art Club (stand up dance)
26. Sriyah (dance) – Edinburgh International Festival
27. Gregory Charles (music)
28. Pajama Men (comedy)
29. Eoin Colfer (kids) Edinburgh International Book Festival
30. The Wheel (theatre)
31. Eoin Colfer (adults) – Edinburgh International Book Festival
32. Nick Helm (yes I saw him twice!)
33. Camille O Sullivan (music)
34. Philadephia Orchestra (music) – Edinburgh International Festival
35. Arditt Quartet (music) – Edinburgh International Festival
36. Drought and Rain (dance) – Edinburgh International Festival
37. Re – Triptych (dance) – Edinburgh International Festival

I thought I might sneakily mention my three favourite shows – they were so different so made my Fringe in so many ways!

1. Rhythmic Circus – a live music tap show.  Originally part of Booking Dance they decided late in the day to put on a free show at Venue 150.  Full of so much energy and joy – I really hope they come back next year!
2. New Art Club – for the most fun audience participation known to man (and a great show to boot).
3. Nick Helm – so good I went twice! A new style of comedy for me – quite an involved show with a surprising mix of yelling and quiet.

My only regret is I completely and utterly failed to take any photos! Boo.

Thank you to:

• Karen at the Edinburgh Nail Factory for a quick french polish the day before (Shellac rules!)
•  Planet Flowers for taking an email wedding bouquet order two days before a wedding
• Chris and everyone at Loudons for hold a brunch table and providing excellent and speedy service (when we had to get to the airport quickly)
• Blaise from Covet for hair, make up and wedding jewellery
• Fairyhill for an amazing welcome on our wedding night

and lastly the Registry Office for helping us rearrange and calming just before the wedding. (Having experienced two different registrars in the run up , I feel I can say EVERYONE I spoke to at Edinburgh was far superior to Swansea).

A set of little thank yous to the following awesome friends (they are ALL awesome but these lovelies pulled out the stops!)

• Blaise again for epic shopping skills and so many more things I can’t list!
• Hazel for organising pre wedding dinner for the girls!
• James for best man duties inc getting Rich to the wedding on time and not losing the rings!
• Andy, AKA Queens Hall for taking awesome photos on the day AND then cycling to get them printed out to give to my parents!